The former top lawyer for NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly plotted to oust the head of a Manhattan security-services firm and replace him with her ex-NYPD buddy — and when that didn’t work, alleged office racism to try to embarrass the company, new court papers charge.
The documents are the basis of Michael Stapleton Associates’ counterclaim, filed in Manhattan Federal Court on Friday, against lawyer Katherine A. Lemire, who sued the firm last month.
Lemire alleged in her lawsuit that MSA Chairman George Harvey “undermined her authority” and forced her to quit in response to her complaining about a black co-worker being harassed with racist comments.
MSA’s counterclaim accuses her of scheming with former NYPD Deputy Commissioner and then-MSA CEO Patrick Timlin against Harvey. When the pair failed to boot Harvey and replace him with Timlin, Lemire, also a former Manhattan assistant US attorney, pushed with the racism allegation, according to the counterclaim.
Lemire quit her job as president of MSA’s investigations division in October.
“When it later became clear to these conspirators that Harvey would not retire and that their scheme to oust him would not succeed, Timlin and Lemire launched a malicious and cynical campaign to sabotage the company by “disparaging Harvey” and other honchos, … making false allegations” and “urging clients” to take their business to a “competing company Lemire had formed,” the suit says.
The suit also claims that Lemire – who served as special counsel to New York’s top cop for four years before leaving for the private-sector gig in March – talked a big game to get her MSA job, yet never delivered.
“Although Lemire was a novice with no business or private sector security industry experience, she touted her ability to bring new business to MSA based on her supposed close ties to judges, court personnel and other government officials and her membership in what she repeatedly referred to as the ‘Southern District Mafia,’ ” the suit says.
“… She brought in no new clients … Moreover, none of her touted ‘contacts’ materialized.”
Lemire, in her November lawsuit, said she got into hot water with Harvey after siding with Timlin over his handling of a discrimination investigation into the racist comments. Harvey, the complaint alleges, attempted to suppress the probe.
The black assistant had claimed that she was repeatedly the target of racist office comments by some of her white co-workers, such as, “My grandfather owned your father” and “For Thanksgiving, are you having Popeye’s?”
Lemire, who thought the allegations had merit, says she openly questioned Harvey after he fired Timlin because Timlin’s internal investigation found company honchos were well aware of the racist remarks and did nothing – except sometimes discourage the black staffer from complaining about the alleged misconduct.
MSA denies Lemire’s allegations.
A lawyer for Lemire did not immediately respond for comment.